Gruwaar
When the fey were united and the Seelie and Unseelie Courts had not yet been established, the gruwaars were there. The turn of ages and eventual sundering of the fey court heralded the gruwaars’ ascent among the Unseelie as master manipulators and dangerous foes. Legends speak of the gruwaars as allies to the children of Lolth. The gruwaars stood beside the dark elves in their rebellion and followed their tragic descent when the drow fell into the depths of the earth. Surface elf retribution on those gruwaars who dared stay above ground all but eliminated the race outside of the Underdark. Those who survived have been joined over the years by those who initially fled from elven fury. They maintain their reputation for foul deeds long past – and they revel in it. Gruwaars are rare, even amongst the fey. Most sages know little of their history or of their role in the history of other races. Plagues, assassinations, and catastrophes throughout the ages have seen influence from the gruwaars, for reasons known only to them. Wild and mischievous even by fey standards, the gruwaars are extremely independent. Among other races, they often serve from the shadows as advisors or assassins for those causes that amuse them. Occasionally, a gruwaar will join with an adventuring party for seemingly noble reasons, only to later reveal a darker ulterior motive. Gruwaars are drawn to political intrigue, but although they are amused by power and those who believe they wield it, gruwaars are not necessarily interested in wielding political and social influence themselves. They are fascinated by the motives and results that impassion those who seek and bear power. Above all else, they are intrigued by the chaos of raw, naked force. Where there is political strife, where there are clashing ideologies, where the will of rebellion threatens to upset the balance of power – the gruwaars are there. Personality: Gruwaars are voyeuristic by nature. They love to see individuals act in dynamic ways, especially when they themselves set the stage. The gruwaars love drama. Tragic or grand, it matters not to the gruwaar. They just like to watch the chaos unfold. Philosophically, gruwaars are completely individualistic in their approach to life. Their only common quality is a singular disdain for any authority that they do not influence in some fashion. As such, their motives are known only to themselves. Physical Description: Averaging 3 to 4 feet tall, the gruwaars do not possess the usual beauty of their fey kin. Instead, they are wiry, muscular creatures with monkey-like bodies. Gruwaar faces resemble a cross between a goblin and a cat, with large, round eyes the color of hot steel, a large brow, and a maw filled with hideous canines. Their ears are long, pointed, and jut out from their heads, although they can sweep them back when they choose. Gruwaars are covered with a fine, black fur. They have long arms with extra joints and hands ending in tiny, razor-sharp claws. Their short thighs and long forelegs cause them to appear as if perpetually crouched. When among civilized folk, the gruwaars wear loose-fitting cloaks and hoods and often remain hidden as much as possible. When confronted, they lie and bluff their way out of direct conflict. Few gruwaars are ever backed into such corners, however, and those who are usually have no compunctions about using their claws to extract themselves from difficulties. Relations: Among the fey, gruwaars are considered members of the Unseelie court. They are accorded respect based on their heritage by those wise enough to recognize them for who they are. Among the Unseelie, however, gruwaars are treated as dangerous miscreants at best. Some gruwaars are considered powerful players amongst the Unseelie, greatly respected by their peers and feared by others. Most gruwaars pay only the barest courtesy to the Unseelie Court. Among other races, gruwaars prefer to be hidden or disguised. They might pretend to be familiars to young wizards and sorcerers whose vanity exceeds their skill at conjuring demon familiars. At other times, they might work in concert with others in the shadows of society, where appearances take second place to skill. The gruwaar take an active approach in concealing their motives, since it is more entertaining to watch their dupes or pawns do things of their own volition. They take great pains to ensure their foils learn as little as possible about their nature and identities. Gruwaars are unseen players in many games – unseen, effective, and dangerous. Alignment: Most gruwaars are Chaotic and Evil by nature. Despite this, more than one gruwaar has sided with the forces of good in order to experiment on the ranks of a powerful evil regime. Some gruwaars specialize in tampering with certain types of ideological cultures, especially evil ones. The moral ambiguities of gruwaars are unmatched. They have saved innocents on given days only to have them sacrificed on others. Religion: Gruwaars revere no deity in particular. Some of their more vile members have been known to fall sway to demon princes or devil lords; however, most gruwaars are too busy (some say egotistical) to formally worship another being. Language: Gruwaars speak Common, Sylvan and Undercommon. The first language a gruwaar typically learns to speak is Undercommon. Older gruwaars use this ploy to insult the Unseelie Court and other fey. When they do speak Sylvan among other fey, gruwaars enjoy using thick (but fake) accents that make them difficult to understand. Names: Male gruwaar names are usually short and monosyllabic, while female names usually have two syllables. Male: Greeg, Hurr, Koll, Mok, Puzz, Zor Female: Herga, Jeeta, Juuta, Mokka, Panee, Tagri, Zora Adventurers: Gruwaars love adventure. A gruwaar adventurer always has designs on why he’s with a particular adventuring party. Perhaps he wants to join them to see what they do, with an eye down the road on a scheme to overthrow a kingdom he dislikes. Perhaps the party and he even have a mutual goal. The real trick is getting a party to accept a gruwaar into their midst. However, their wily, persuasive ways make them likeable despite their unusual appearance and often disgusting personal habits. Gruwaar Ability Modifiers: +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, -2 Strength, -2 Wisdom Size: Small Speed: 20ft Special Qualities Fey Type Darkvision 60ft Quadruped: a Gruuwaar that is wearing Light or No Armor and which has its hands empty may drop to all fours to move. This increases its speed to 30ft. Natural Attacks: two Claw attacks dealing 1D3 + Str modifier damage +2 Racial bonus to Hide, Move Silently and Sleight of Hand Spell-like Ability: 1/day Disguise Self with Caster Level 1 Favored Class: Rogue Level Adjustment: +0 Category:Fey